1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns apparatus and methods to soft cook and hard cook eggs in a microwave oven.
2. Description of Prior Art
To achieve the versatility in microwave cooking that is expected in gas and electric cooking, a microwave oven must be supplied with as many different type and size cooking utensils as are available for gas and electric cooking. Special utensils must be employed, in many cases, to provide results in microwave cooking which are comparable to those expected from gas and electric cooking.
Numerous novel cooking containers have already been developed for microwave cooking. My U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,731,037, 3,777,099 and 3,881,027 disclose microwave-lossy heating elements in combination with microwave-reflective, heat-conductive containers. While it is possible to fry and bake eggs using my former teachings, the ability to properly soft and hard cook eggs with the speed and convenience expected from microwave ovens has presented a problem. One solution to cook said eggs is to completely enclose an egg (in its shell) in a perforated metal container or wrap it in aluminum foil and submerge it in water and boil said microwave-shielded egg in said water in a microwave oven. But, so wrapping an egg in aluminum foil and cooking is not convenient as a hot egg package must be unwrapped and, still hot, its shell broken. Moreover, proper timing presents a problem as the cooking egg white is hidden from view and the hot wet egg cools rapidly until its shell dries and continues to cool rapidly as it is unshelled and deposited in a cool dish. The ability to shield from microwave exposure one area of an article while selectively heating a second area of said article is old to the art and taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,070.
This invention provides apparatus and methods to soft or hard cook eggs in a microwave oven with text book results. For example, as taught in The Other Half of the Egg by H. McCully, J. Pepin and W. Fayme, M. Barrows & Company, Inc., NY, 1967, on page 21, as follows: "Boiled Eggs. The term "boil" in relation to eggs, whether soft or hard, has long since been abandoned because it implies high fast heat, which, at least, can only lead to rubbery white and discolored yolks, at the worst to cracked and leaking shells, water logged and lopsided eggs. Soft-Cooked Eggs. Perfectly cooked, the white is tender but solidified, and the yolk is liquid to semi liquid." And, for example as taught in "Egg Cooking", L. Pappas, 101 Productions, San Francisco, Calif. 94703, 1976, on page 15, as follows: "The different egg portions coagulate at different temperatures, resulting in thickening. Egg whites become jelly-like at 140.degree. and firm at about 149.degree. and complete the process at 150.degree.. . . . When the egg coagulates, it first forms a clot, like a lacy network. If overheating occurs, the network contracts, forcing out the liquid. This explains why it is so important not to overcook egg dishes."
The problem of soft cooking an egg by directly exposing said egg to microwave energy is complicated by the fact that, if the egg is, it is subject to exploding and, if unshelled, the yolk hard cooks and ruptures before the white can heat and solidify.